Our "High Island Migration Short"
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GUATEMALA: Land of the Quetzal A Tropical Birding custom tour 17–30 Mar 2011 Leader: Michael Retter Photos by Michael Retter For such a tiny country, Guatemala has a lot to offer. The birds are diverse and colorful: Pink-headed Warbler, Blue-throated Motmot, Spot-breasted Oriole, Garnet-throated Hummingbird. With the exception of Tikal, this custom tour visited the same locations as our new set-departure, offing a wide range of habitats: cool high-elevation pine forest, a spectacular volcanic lake, dry thornscrub, lowland rainforest, and cloudforest. Though many of Guatemala’s endemic birds are shared with Mexico, here they’re easier to find and to get to. Cabanis’s (Azure-rumped) Tanager, for instance, is readily found via short ride in a vehicle just above a comfortable lodge—a far cry from the 25+ miles of hiking necessary in Mexico! And need I even mention the emerald-and-red Resplendent Quetzal (above right)? The quetzal is even the unit of currency in Guatemala. Could there possibly be a better place to see it? Itinerary 17 Mar Arrival in Guatemala City. 18 Apr Rincón Suizo to Unicornio Azul. 19 Apr Unicornio Azul. 20 Apr Fuentes Georginas and Las Nubes. 21 Apr Las Nubes. 22 Apr Las Nubes. 23 Apr Las Nubes to Los Andes. 24 Apr Los Andes to Tarrales. 25 Apr Tarrales. 26 Apr Tarrales to Panajachel via Lake Atitlán. 27 Apr Volcán San Pedro to Antigua via Panajachel. 28 Apr Finca Filadelfia. 29 Apr El Pilar. 30 Apr Departure. GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 1 - PHOTO JOURNAL Pink-headed Warblers are fairly common at higher elevations in Guatemala. Such as on Volcán Tajumulco, The gorgeous Goldman's Warbler, endemic the highest point in Central America. to high-elevation pine forest of Guatemala. Just another Yellow-rump this is not! . GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 2 - This is Rancho Unicornio Azul, perched atop the Sierra de Cuchumatanes, and home to Goldman's Warbler. It's also a great place to go horseback riding. Rufous-collared Sparrows are "Guatemalan" Juncos are larger and abundant at higher elevations. darker than other Yellow-eyed Juncos. GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 3 - Which way to go? Towards the Blue-throated Motmot, perhaps! A native Fuchsia. Fulvous Owl. GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 4 - We were fortunate to have found Sparkling-tailed Woodstar--a very an Emerald Toucanet nest right next difficult-to-find species. Unfortunately, to the viewing platform at Las Nubes. the male wouldn't pose like she did! Male Resplendent Quetzal in mid-display. The endangered Cabanis's Tanager is endemic to a small area of Chiapas and Guatemala. Also known as Azure-rumped Tanager, it's the more colorful northern counterpart of the Gray-and- gold Tanager of Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. We had great views of no fewer than 10 birds at a fruiting strangler fig. GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 5 - The steep slog up the volcano was A small flock of Black-throated Jays passed by worth it for Horned Guan. I think where we saw the Horned Guan. bizarre is the best word to describe it. Lower on the trail our local guide took us to a A snazzy male Blue-crowned fruiting tree, where a pair of Bar-winged Orioles Chlorophonia was also there. was coming to eat. This is a male. GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 6 - At the bottom of the volcano we And this Spot-breasted Oriole. found species more typical of the lowlands like this (male) Barred Antshrike. Above one of the coffee fincas, our local This Black Hawk-Eagle circled guide pointed out a family of Stygian Owls! over us quite leisurely! Here’s one of the three fluffy youngsters. GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 7 - The striking Prevost's Ground-Sparrow can be Which is also where we found this found along the shores of Lake Atitlán. male Belted Flycatcher. What a crest! Here you can see how he gets his name. Common Gallinules are common residents along the shores of the lake. GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 8 - This strikingly beautiful male hybrid Baltimore × Bullock's Oriole was quite a surprise! Band-backed Wren. A male Elegant Euphonia. GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 9 - Azure-crowned Hummingbird. The “Blue-crested” Steller’s Jays in Guatemala look quite different compared to their northern cousins. Blue-tailed Hummingbird . GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 10 - BIRD LIST This list includes all the bird species that were recorded by at least one of us. Taxonomy and nomenclature closely follow Howell's Checklist of the Birds of Mexico and all subsequent AOU supplements, but some IOC decisions are also included. In any case, scientific names are included to leave no doubt. Quotation marks denote a possible future split. For instance, "Deville's" Berylline Hummingbird means that the “Deville's” form may one day be split from Berylline Hummingbird. Brackets denote the larger taxon from which a species has been split. For instance, Striple-thoated [Little] Hermit means that Stripe-throated Hermit was once considered a subspecies of Little Hermit (and may still be by some authorities). Parentheses denote an alternate name used by some checklists. For example, Cabanis’s (Azure-rumped) Tanager. Total: 259 species. Birding at El Pilar. GALLIFORMES: Cracidae White-bellied Chachalaca Ortalis leucogastra Crested Guan Penelope purpurascens Highland Guan Penelopina nigra Horned Guan Oreophasis derbianus GALLIFORMES: Odontophoridae . GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 11 - Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge Dendrortyx leucophrys Spotted Wood Quail Odontophorus guttatus Singing Quail Dactylortyx thoracicus Ocellated Quail Cyrtonyx ocellatus PELECANIFORMES: Ardeidae Green Heron Butorides virescens Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Great Egret Ardea alba Snowy Egret Egretta thula ACCIPITRIFORMES: Cathartidae Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Black Vulture Coragyps atratus ACCIPITRIFORMES: Pandionidae Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus ACCIPITRIFORMES: Accipitridae Hook-billed Kite Chondrohierax uncinatus Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus White-breasted Hawk Accipiter chionogaster Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus Great Black Hawk Buteogallus urubitinga Gray Hawk Buteo nitidus Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus Short-tailed Hawk Buteo brachyurus Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni Zone-tailed Hawk Buteo albonotatus Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus Ornate Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus ornatus FALCONIFORMES: Falconidae Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans Collared Forest-Falcon Micrastur semitorquatus Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis American Kestrel Falco sparverius Merlin Falco columbarius Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis GRUIFORMES: Rallidae Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata American Coot Fulica americana CHARADRIIFORMES: Laridae . GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 12 - Franklin's Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan COLUMBIFORMES: Columbidae Rock Pigeon Columba livia Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata Red-billed Pigeon Patagioenas flavirostris Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Inca Dove Columbina inca Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi White-faced Quail-Dove Geotrygon albifacies Ruddy Quail-Dove Geotrygon montana PSITTACIFORMES: Psittacidae Pacific Parakeet Aratinga strenua Orange-fronted Parakeet Aratinga canicularis Barred Parakeet Bolborhynchus lineola Orange-chinned Parakeet Brotogeris jugularis Yellow-naped Amazon (Parrot) Amazona auropalliata CUCULIFORMES: Cuculidae Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana STRIGIFORMES: Strigidae Fulvous Owl Strix fulvescens Mottled Owl Strix virgata Black-and-white Owl Strix nigrolineata Stygian Owl Asio stygius CAPRIMULGIFORMES: Caprimulgidae Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Mexican Whip-poor-will Caprimulgus arizonae APODIFORMES: Apodidae Chestnut-collared Swift Streptoprocne rutila White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi White-throated Swift Aeronautes saxatalis APODIFORMES: Trochilidae Rufous Sabrewing Campylopterus rufus Violet Sabrewing Campylopterus hemileucurus Green Violetear Colibri thalassinus Emerald-chinned Hummingbird Abeillia abeillei Cinnamon Hummingbird Amazilia rutila Azure-crowned Hummingbird Amazilia cyanocephala . GUATEMALA 17–30 April 2011 - 13 - Blue-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia cyanura “Deville's” Berylline Hummingbird Amazilia beryllina devillei Amethyst-throated Mountaingem (H’bird) Lampornis amethystinus Green-throated Mountaingem Lampornis viridipallens White-eared Hummingbird Basilinna leucotis Garnet-throated Hummingbird Lamprolaima rhami Magnificent Hummingbird Eugenes fulgens Long-billed Starthroat Heliomaster longirostris Sparkling-tailed Woodstar Tilmatura dupontii Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris Wine-throated Hummingbird Atthis ellioti TROGONIFORMES: Trogonidae Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno Gartered [Violaceous] Trogon Trogon caligatus Mountain Trogon Trogon mexicanus Collared Trogon Trogon collaris CORACIIFORMES: Momotidae Tody Motmot Hylomanes momotula Blue-throated Motmot Aspatha gularis Blue-diademed [Blue-crowned] Motmot Momotus lessonii Turquoise-browed Motmot Eumomota superciliosa PICIFORMES: Ramphastidae Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus PICIFORMES: Picidae Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus Velasquez's [Golden-fronted] Woodpeck'r Melanerpes santacruzi Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius Ladder-backed Woodpecker Picoides scalaris Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus Smoky-brown Woodpecker Picoides fumigatus Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus “Guaemalan” Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus mexicanoides Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus PASSERIFORMES: